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(5) Infective endocarditis following abortion, how induced not
ascertained.
(6) General peritonitis following uterine infection, due to
insertion of slippery elm bark by patient herself.
(7) Septic phlebitis following septic abortion, how induced not
ascertained.
(8) Shock following stimulus causing a perversion of normal
pregnancy (7-9 weeks). Stimulus not stated.
(9) Septicaemia, general peritonitis, septic abortion induced by
person unknown.
(10) Septic abortion 2nd month of pregnancy, how induced not
ascertained.
(11) Puerperal pyaemia, stillbirth.
(12) Pyaemia following premature delivery due to abortion
induced by person unknown.
(13) Pericarditis following abscess of the lung due to septic
endometritis, the infection following abortion with
retained placenta, how abortion induced not known.
Of these thirteen deaths, curiously enough, ten only are classified
to puerperal sepsis and to other accidents and diseases of pregnancy
and parturition, for number 6 is classified as suicide, and numbers
9 and 12 as due to violence.
Numbers 2, 3, and 4 differ from the remainder in that, although
not classified as due to violence, they might perhaps not inaccurately
be attributed to medically controlled violence. With the exception
possibly of number 11, is there any valid reason for supposing that
of the remaining nine death was due to any but the one cause, the
active steps taken either by the patient herself or by some one on
her behalf to get rid at any cost of an unwanted pregnancy ?
These unhappy deaths represent an unknown proportion of the
total number who ran equal risks and suffered equal mental strain,
but who were more fortunate.
If all septic abortion were classified throughout the series to
suicide or violence, numbers 1,2,3, 4, and 11 would give a maternal
mortality rate of 1.24 per 1,000 live births. On the other hand, if
all 13 deaths were classified as maternal mortality, the rate would